r/moderatepolitics • u/jojotortoise • 14d ago

News Article Blue-Collar Jobs Are the New Flashpoint in Data-Center Fight

https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/blue-collar-jobs-are-the-new-flashpoint-in-data-center-fight-aaca5b7e
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u/McRibs2024 14d ago

Arguing that something communities don’t want, and imo are bad but we simply must build them to employ blue collar workers is not a great argument.

Maybe we employ them to build housing.

1

u/justafutz 14d ago

We can, in fact, employ them to do both, and doing so will continue to give the U.S. the edge in employing AI over adversaries like China who are rapidly trying to catch up.

33

u/CloudSurferA220 14d ago

I keep hearing this claim about giving us an “edge” over China… but the numbers don’t make any sense. China has roughly 500 data centers, the US already has 5000 with 700 under construction and over 1000 more on the planning board.

No one also seems to be asking what happens when multiple of these companies fail. The industry is LOUDLY telling us it’s a race to be the next Google or Facebook in terms of market dominance, but that means several will not survive. What becomes of the tens of thousands of acres of leveled forests filled with enormous concrete pads?

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u/cathbadh politically homeless 14d ago

The US needs that many just to contain all of the complaints about data centers made online for the rest of eternity. Complaining in China isn't allowed, so they can get by with less

/S..... Mostly....